Centre for Poetry and Conflict Resolution

We are delighted to introduce to you the Director of the CPCR Sushruti Tripathi:

"History is a series of human expressions which take varied forms and result in everything from paintings to wars. It is this expression and interaction between people that forms any society. Today, post the internet revolution, the world has increasingly become a single collective, a singular society that is exceptionally diverse. While this diversity is an enriching experience, it also finds itself at the foundation of many conflicts and tireless efforts towards conflict resolution are the need of the hour.

The Centre for Poetry and Conflict Resolution recognises this need for processes for conflict resolution and dialogue and seeks to facilitate the same through another form of human expression - poetry.

The Centre for Poetry and Conflict Resolution is an international platform to bring together cutting edge dispute resolution practices and powerful human expression through poetry to facilitate dialogue, resolve conflicts and foster peace.

The people at CPCR come from a diverse range of professions and include: poets, performers, lawyers, mediators, social activists and educators. Together we believe that poetry is not a mere art form but an exercise in expression which has a deep and everlasting impact on both the poet and the audience, thereby leading to self-awareness and a compassionate understanding of the people and emotions involved in any conflict.

The causes of conflicts, both personal and professional, can often be found in individual or collective human emotions and actions. The resolution of these conflicts will be most effective if it addresses the meaning of these human emotions and that is where the process of composing poetry finds use. Composing poetry allows participants to assess their own emotions and that of the others, leading to increased collective understanding and better solutions.

The projects under CPCR encompass both professional and social spheres of work.

Some of our projects include enabling professional mediators to use the process of individual and collective poetry writing through specifically designed methodologies to promote understanding of issues and working towards solutions. In the community, we train volunteers working within conflict zones in soft skills including ADR techniques and in the usage of poetry as a tool to help the people affected to foster community engagement, dialogue and self and collective healing.
We also provide a platform for voices from around the world, particularly from areas ridden with conflict and in need of world attention and engagement, and ensure that these voices are heard through outreach and broadcast programmes.

CPCR is a step towards bridging the disjunct between our personal and professional lives, the individual and the collective, and to realise the potential of art forms as tools of growth and learning which should be accessible to all. It envisions a future where, instead of working our emotions and natures against our other pursuits, we work with the acknowledgement of being human and using it to our advantage.

The Centre for Poetry and Conflict Resolution, an initiative that is the first of its kind in the world, represents a new thought process and outlook in the field of conflict resolution and to fostering long lasting peace between individuals and communities."